Thursday 22 June 2023 at 1.00pm-2.00pm, Sina Restaurant, Taumeasina Island Resort
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Your Excellency Governor General The Honourable David Hurley,
Your Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley
and your accompanying delegation,
It is a pleasure for me to extend to you again a warm welcome and thank you for accepting my invitation to join us for lunch this afternoon. I appreciate your time for our introductory meeting upon your arrival last night and hope that you had a good rest before your visits this morning and the rest of your planned programme for today.
Excellency, I acknowledge with appreciation the opportunity extended to me early this year for my official visit to Australia where I had fruitful meetings with Prime Minister, Hon Albanese, Cabinet Ministers and officials on strengthening our bilateral relations and regional cooperation.
Likewise we had hosted visits by Senator the Honourable Penny Wong in June last year whilst our borders were still closed and a visit in April from Hon Pat Conroy for follow up discussions concerning development cooperation. High level visits demonstrate the close relations that our two countries have established in the recent years.
We have a growing diaspora in Australia who have made Australia their home as well as those engaged in the seasonal workers and labour mobility scheme and have contributed meaningfully to development in Australia thus strengthening our people-to-people relations.
I am confident that our friendship will continue to prosper bilaterally as well as through our shared membership in the Pacific Islands Forum.
Excellencies, I hope you enjoy the rest of your programme in Samoa.
Ladies and Gentlemen
Please join me to propose a toast. “To the good health and well-being of Their Excellencies the Governor General and Mrs Hurley”
Soifua ma ia manuia.
